Politics heats up in Doaba over Haryana IPS Y Puran Kumar suicide

Dalit politics has got heated up in the Doaba. After the Congress held a candlelight march in favour of Haryana ADGP Y Puran Kumar, who died by suicide, former Union Minister and BJP leader Som Prakash has also expressed concerns about the incident. He has also alleged the neglect of Dalits by the AAP government in Punjab.

Som Prakash along with with ex-MLA Sheetal Angural and BJP district president Sushil Sharma have demanded strict action against those responsible for the IPS officer's suicide, citing the suicide note that mentioned several officials. He accused the AAP government of neglecting the Dalits, pointing out that despite promises, no Dalit has been appointed as Deputy Chief Minister or nominated to the Rajya Sabha.

Som Prakash highlighted the struggles of Dalit students awaiting scholarships, with the Punjab Government facing court criticism for not fulfilling its obligations. He cited the party's MLA Manjinder Singh Lalpur being convicted under the SC/ST Act and the damage to Dr BR Ambedkar's statues in Amritsar and Phillaur as evidence of AAP's alleged anti-Dalit stance.

"The government's neglect of the Dalits will end in 2027 and the BJP will form a government with an absolute majority", he claimed. Others who attended media interaction with Som Prakash were BJP state general secretary Rakesh Rathore, district general secretary Rajesh Kapoor, former district president Raman Pabbi and BJP district media incharge Tarun Kumar.

Meanwhile, the Shiromani Akali Dal (Revived) has described the AAP's government as anti-Dalit and said not a single Dalit leader from Punjab has been sent to the Rajya Sabha. This proves that AAP does not consider the Dalits as anything other than a vote bank.

Party's working committee member and leader belonging to the Taksali Akali family Jarnail Singh Garhdiwala said in a press statement issued here that AAP is only playing with the sentiments of the Dalit community by using the picture of Dr BR Ambedkar, whereas in practice it is doing the opposite.

Garhdiwala said there are many leaders with intellectual capacity in the Dalit society but the entire background of AAP's national convener Arvind Kejriwal is linked to the RSS. There is no hope for the welfare of the Dalits from them.

Garhdiwala condemned the anti-Dalit incidents that have taken place in the country in the past. He said the suicide by former ADGP Puran Kumar is the peak of discrimination being done against the Dalit community. Similarly, the incident of shoe-hurling on the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court proves that the upper castes are not tolerating that a person from the Dalit community reaching a high position due to his qualifications. Both these incidents have proved that the saffron party neither cares about the Constitution, nor is it bothered by the people of the Dalit community sitting in constitutional positions.

The Legal Awareness Manch too has written to the President on the matter